Key Events

Full reaction to come

The thoughts of Aitor Karanka coming shortly, who will assess what has been a useful and solid pre-season for Boro.

Were any remaining questions answered today?

A decent shift against an organised and technically gifted side - which is something we’ve become accustomed to with the Spanish summer opponents who’ve capped off pre-season during Karanka’s time in charge.

On to Stoke!

15:25Dominic Shaw

Vic's verdict

15:24Dominic Shaw

Full-time: Boro 0-0 Sociedad

Two stalemates on the bounce - now seems a good time to say I can’t wait for the proper stuff to start next week!

Boro get better as it went on today.

Workmanlike in the first half with added flare in the second.

Adomah and Ramirez the stand-out pair going forward, Nsue impressive at full-back and Barragan may well have just booked his spot in the team next week.

Five unbeaten. Now for the real stuff to start!

15:22Dominic Shaw

Almost a last minute winner

That would have been a good way to sign off for the summer.

Adomah’s cross from the left was met by Rhodes, who flicked on his header but Stuani just couldn’t manoeuvre himself in time and the ball just kind of hit him as he looked to shape his body to nod in to what was an open goal.

Unlucky. Would have been the reward for a much-improved second half.

15:20Dominic Shaw

Adomah has taken his chance

Fischer, Downing and Adomah are the trio battling for the spots on the wings next week, you’d think.

Well Adomah has increased his chances in second half.

15:13Dominic Shaw

Changes: Stuani and Rhodes on

They replace Downing and Ramirez.

Apologies, by the way, Nugent had come on for Negredo at the same time Dimi replaced Valdes.

It’s 4-4-2 now with Rhodes partnering Nugent, Stuani on the right and Adomah over here on the left.

David Nugent and Rhodes

15:11Dominic Shaw

And now Boro miss great chance

This time it’s David Nugent, but it was a fine save rather than a miscued strike which prevented the opener.

Good work on the right from Albert Adomah, who’s done well since he came on.

His cross was met by Nugent just a few yards out and it looked a certain goal.

Alas, Ramirez was there to keep it out.

15:09Dominic Shaw

What a chance!

And just moments after coming on, Dimi was almost picking the ball out of the net.

Quite how Sociedad haven’t scored I don’t know.

Cross from the right landed at the feet of the unmarked Juanmi who only had to tap the ball into an empty net.

Somehow, he made a mess of it and blazed it over.

15:06Dominic Shaw

Biggest cheer of the day

And he’s on - to the biggest applause of the day.

A roar and a chant of his name from the 9,000+ fans in the stadium as Dimi replaces Victor Valdes.

After what has undoubtedly been a tough summer for the big keeper, that, you’d think, will delight the Greek.

Dimi Konstantopoulos celebrates promotion

15:01Dominic Shaw

Huge applause for Dimi

And he’s only out for a warm-up!

The keeper trotted out from the dugout just now and will be heartened by the welcome he received.

He’s coming on just now. Quickly stripped and ready to replace Victor Valdes between the posts.

Dimi Konstantopoulos celebrates promotion with Boro

14:57Dominic Shaw

Negredo in action

He’d probably bullied a couple of defenders and shrugged them off just seconds before this picture was taken.

14:57Dominic Shaw

Defence hardly tested in the second half

The half time whistle came at a bad time for Sociedad.

They were enjoying their best spell at the back end of that opening period but haven’t started in the second half and are yet to really test Boro’s backline.

So far, Barragan has passed his test in the centre of defence. He’s looked steady enough and has put in a couple of crunching and perfectly timed challenges.

He’s just been dragged over to the full-back position as I type but that’s a natural instinct he’ll have to try and ignore as he plays in this central role.

You’d think he’d now be favourite to partner Gibson next week if no signings are made and DANIEL...AYALA isn’t fit in time.

Antonio Barragan, right, with Boro team-mates

14:52Dominic Shaw

And Negredo almost had his home goal

He didn’t know much about it, really and hardly had any time to adjust his feet as a cross found its way to him at the back post.

Nsue’s ball missed everyone in the box except Boro’s big striker.

Rather instinctively he swung a boot at it but just couldn’t make the required contact.

Boro growing into this and now Gaston Ramirez has just tried his luck from distance, forcing Ramirez into a smart save.

Much better.

14:49Dominic Shaw

The strength and power of the new striker

14:49Dominic Shaw

One that George would rather forget

If ever an effort summed up the goalmouth action in this game so far, it was a rather wild and wayward George Friend strike just now.

Boro broke at speed and had men over, with Gaston playing it on to Friend on the left flank.

He galloped into the space in front of him but was caught in two minds and his effort, a high strike which headed straight for the seating in the North Stand, was a disappointing finish to a good move.

14:44Dominic Shaw

Negredo's first real opening of the afternoon

It’s been a quiet outing for Alvaro Negredo so far in his first taste of action at the Riverside.

But a half chance fell his way just now as an Adomah cross from the right arrowed over in his direction.

Negredo found a yard and got his head on the ball but couldn’t keep it down and saw his effort sail over the crossbar.

Best we’ve seen in the second half - from either side.

It couldn’t be any more of a blatant summer friendly if it tried, this game.

14:41Dominic Shaw

The first half in pictures

14:38Dominic Shaw

Half time changes

It’s Albert and Adam on for Boro at the break, with Adomah and Forshaw replacing Viktor Fischer and Adam Clayton.

Was slightly surprised to see Adomah miss out today but he’s got 45 minutes now to catch the eye.

Downing is back over on the left now, by the way, with Adomah in his usual position.

Forshaw alongside de Roon in the middle of the park.

14:35Dominic Shaw

Today's attendance

14:25Dominic Shaw

Adam Steel's half time verdict

Adam Steel is here alongside me in the press box today.

He offers his thoughts on the 45 just gone.

Half time at the Riverside and it’s a couple of Boro’s Spanish speakers who have been prominent against the Spanish visitors.

Uruguay playmaker Gaston Ramirez has been a thorn at times in the Real Sociedad defence, showing a burst of energy, willingness to switch flanks and raid

forward and a real desire to let fly with his left foot.

His two efforts were Boro’s best of the half, the first a piledriver not too far off target at the end of an incisive short-passing move involving Viktor

Fischer.

An inswinging free-kick from the former Southampton attacker also brought a two-fisted save from Real keeper Tono Ramirez, who wasn’t taking any chances even

though it was fired straight at him.

Antonio Barragan has also stood out at the back for Boro after being switched into central defence.

The former Valencia right-back has looked comfortable, making a couple of timely interventions to charge down a Xabi Prieto shot and a blocked tackle on David

Zurutuza nipped a Sociedad breakaway in the bud.

Real have had their moments as the first 45 has progressed but Boro keeper Victor Valdes hasn’t had a save to make, comfortably catching crosses when called upon.

Gaston Ramirez in action against Udinese

14:24Dominic Shaw

Should we expect any changes?

Well you’d think Aitor Karanka would want to give those who he views as likely starters next week as long as possible to impress here.

Equally, those fringe figures will be gagging to get on and stake a claim.

The likes of Jordan Rhodes, Adam Forshaw and Adam Reach will want some game-time here in one final effort to get into AK’s plans for next week.

14:20Dominic Shaw

Half time: Boro 0-0 Sociedad

Competitive if not overly exciting.

Sociedad have had the better of it and built into the half as it went on.

Not a lot going on, to be honest.

Full-backs getting forward when they can and Fischer looking bright.

Ramirez Boro’s best so far.

14:17Dominic Shaw

Vic's been impressed with Boro's forward pair

14:17Dominic Shaw

Boro could do with the whistle now

Bit of pressure as we approach the half-time whistle.

First Juanmi sends a volley over the bar from close range. He should have done better.

But the visitors weren’t done there and came again, prompting a bit of a mix-up in the Boro box from a corner.

They look handy going forward, Sociedad.

14:15Dominic Shaw

Final stages of the first half

A rather uneventful first half, it should be said.

And a first half which the visiting side have probably shaded.

They went close just now as a counter attack finished with a prodded effort from inside the box.

Valdes was beaten but George was on hand to clear as the ball trickled across the face of the goal.

Boro threatened briefly just now with a clever attempted through ball from Ramirez but it was just too strong for Negredo and Tono Ramirez - which sounds like the type of name you’d expect to feature in a Netflix drama - was quick off his line to smother the ball.

14:09Dominic Shaw

Handbags!

I thought this was a friendly?

It didn’t stop Markel Bergara making his feelings known just now, reacting to a Gaston Ramirez challenge by jumping up and shoving Boro’s Uruguayan.

Victor Valdes was quick to get involved. He charged off his line to jump in between the pair and had a word with the Sociedad player.

A bit of Spanish speaking seemed to work wonders.

It soon settled down again.

14:04Dominic Shaw

Fischer gets caught out

That’s the part of his game that we’ve seen needs to improve.

George belted forward just then in the fashion he does so well but as he pressed on to the Sociedad full-back, Fischer let the opposing winger drift into space, who was then able to pick up the ball with time on his side and space to run into.

We’ve seen more than enough signs of what Fischer is capable of going forward but Karanka will be quick to stress the need of helping to protect the full-back at times.

Gibson goes close for Boro

One minute he’s knocking a delightful crossfield ball, the next he’s almost popping up with an opener.

Ben Gibson’s outstretched boot nearly put Boro ahead here, the centre-half looking to take advantage of a mix-up in the Sociedad box following a Ramirez corner.

The corner came about after the keeper did the type of punch clear we got used to seeing in the UEFA Cup days.

13:55Dominic Shaw

'Goalness' at half-way mark of first period

I shouldn’t comment to be honest.

I have enough problems trying to tweet in English, never mind giving a second language a crack!

13:52Dominic Shaw

Stevie who?

Ben Gibson has just launched a pitch-wide crossfield ball that Steven Gerrard would have kept a clip of and saved it in his highlights reel.

It landed perfectly on Emilio Nsue’s right boot.

Inch perfect.

Intriguing response to Gibson’s comments this week about the target this season.

“If somebody offered me 17th now, I’d snap your hands off,” he said.

There was nothing pessimistic about what he was simply. He was simply grounded. He stressed how hard it’s been to get out of the Championship so knows the priority this year must be to stay in the Premier League.